Flick Drummond MP visits Portsmouth High School

She told the girls that resilience and determination were the key to her success.

‘Being in parliament is a precarious job and you need to develop a thick skin,’ she said. ‘My top three tips for any successful career are to have determination, work hard and to learn from all your mistakes.’

On asked about ‘grit’ she said ‘you have to start realising that when people criticise you there is usually something behind what they are saying.

You all need to develop an emotional understanding and don’t take everything personally.’

Headmistress, Mrs Jane Prescott, added:

‘Unlike IQ which is relatively fixed, resilience can be taught and encouraged and in the long term contributes as much to the success of an individual as overall intelligence. Schools are pivotal in fostering a degree of toughness and robustness. It was excellent to hear from Mrs Drummond that young people need to foster this resilience to be at the top of their game.’